cf-promises is a tool for checking CFEngine policy code. It operates by first parsing policy code checking for syntax errors. Second, it validates the integrity of policy consisting of multiple files. Third, it checks for semantic errors, e.g. specific attribute set rules. Finally, cf-promises attempts to expose errors by partially evaluating the policy, resolving as many variable and classes promise statements as possible. At no point does cf-promises make any changes to the system.

In 3.6.0 and later, cf-promises will not evaluate function calls either. This may affect customers who use execresult for instance. Use the new --eval-functions yes command-line option (default is no) to retain the old behavior from 3.5.x and earlier.

cf-agent calls cf-promises to validate the policy before running it. In that case --eval-functions is not specified, so functions are not evaluated prematurely (as you would expect).

Command reference

code
  --workdir     , -w value - Override the work directory for testing (same as setting CFENGINE_TEST_OVERRIDE_WORKDIR)
  --eval-functions value - Evaluate functions during syntax checking (may catch more run-time errors). Possible values: 'yes', 'no'. Default is 'yes'
  --show-classes value - Show discovered classes, including those defined in common bundles in policy. Optionally can take a regular expression.
  --show-vars    value - Show discovered variables, including those defined without dependency to user-defined classes in policy. Optionally can take a regular expression.
  --help        , -h       - Print the help message
  --bundlesequence, -b value - Use the specified bundlesequence for verification
  --debug       , -d       - Enable debugging output
  --verbose     , -v       - Output verbose information about the behaviour of cf-promises
  --log-level   , -g value - Specify how detailed logs should be. Possible values: 'error', 'warning', 'notice', 'info', 'verbose', 'debug'
  --dry-run     , -n       - All talk and no action mode - make no changes, only inform of promises not kept
  --version     , -V       - Output the version of the software
  --file        , -f value - Specify an alternative input file than the default. This option is overridden by FILE if supplied as argument.
  --define      , -D value - Define a list of comma separated classes to be defined at the start of execution
  --negate      , -N value - Define a list of comma separated classes to be undefined at the start of execution
  --inform      , -I       - Print basic information about changes made to the system, i.e. promises repaired
  --diagnostic  , -x       - Activate internal diagnostics (developers only)
  --policy-output-format, -p value - Output the parsed policy. Possible values: 'none', 'cf', 'json' (this file only), 'cf-full', 'json-full' (all parsed promises). Default is 'none'. (experimental)
  --syntax-description, -s value - Output a document describing the available syntax elements of CFEngine. Possible values: 'none', 'json'. Default is 'none'.
  --full-check  , -c       - Ensure full policy integrity checks
  --warn        , -W value - Pass comma-separated <warnings>|all to enable non-default warnings, or error=<warnings>|all
  --color       , -C value - Enable colorized output. Possible values: 'always', 'auto', 'never'. If option is used, the default value is 'auto'
  --tag-release , -T value - Tag a directory with promises.cf with cf_promises_validated and cf_promises_release_id
  --timestamp   , -l       - Log timestamps on each line of log output
  --ignore-preferred-augments, -        - Ignore def_preferred.json file in favor of def.json
  --log-modules , - value - Enable even more detailed debug logging for specific areas of the implementation. Use together with '-d'. Use --log-modules=help for a list of available modules